Nidalee

Recommended Build

Patch 16.11 · Diamond+ Solo Queue · Updated 6/9/2026

56.8% Based on 528 games wr in Jungle

Build path

1. Boots any step
   

   Sorcerer's Shoes

   1100 gold

   12 Magic Penetration
   45 Move Speed
   
   

   Sorcerer's Shoes

   75% pick · 55.8% Based on 362 picks wr
2. Item 1
   • 
     Scorchclaw Pup

     450 gold

     
     
     Jungle Companions
     Summon a Scorchclaw that assists you against monsters.
     
     The companion grows as you hunt monsters, empowering your Smite. When fully grown, it completes your Jungle Quest and periodically imbues your next Attack or Ability to burn enemies and Slow them. Killing large monsters readies this immediately.
     Scorchclaw Pup

     92% pick · 57.5% Based on 487 picks wr
3. Item 2 2 options
   • 
     Lich Bane

     2900 gold

     100 Ability Power
     6% Move Speed
     10 Ability Haste
     
     Spellblade
     After using an Ability, your next Attack deals bonus magic damage On-Hit.
     Lich Bane

     85% pick · 58.6% Based on 440 picks wr
   • 
     Hextech Rocketbelt

     2650 gold

     70 Ability Power
     300 Health
     20 Ability Haste
     
     Supersonic
     Dash in target direction, unleashing missiles that deal magic damage.
     or Hextech Rocketbelt

     13% pick · 53.8% Based on 65 picks wr
4. Item 3 2 options
   • 
     Hextech Rocketbelt

     2650 gold

     70 Ability Power
     300 Health
     20 Ability Haste
     
     Supersonic
     Dash in target direction, unleashing missiles that deal magic damage.
     Hextech Rocketbelt

     44% pick · 63.7% Based on 204 picks wr
   • 
     Shadowflame

     3200 gold

     110 Ability Power
     15 Magic Penetration
     
     Cinderbloom
     Magic and true damage Critically Strike enemies below 40% Health, dealing 20% increased damage.
     or Shadowflame

     23% pick · 47.2% Based on 108 picks wr
5. Item 4 3 options
   • 
     Zhonya's Hourglass

     3250 gold

     105 Ability Power
     50 Armor
     
     
     
     Time Stop
     Enter Stasis for 2.5 seconds.
     Zhonya's Hourglass

     30% pick · 56.6% Based on 106 picks wr
   • 
     Mejai's Soulstealer

     1500 gold

     20 Ability Power
     100 Health
     
     Glory
     Takedowns grant Glory, up to 25. 10 Glory is lost on death.
     Gain 5 Ability Power per Glory and 10% Move Speed at 10 or higher Glory.
     or Mejai's Soulstealer

     21% pick · 85.1% Based on 74 picks wr
   • 
     Void Staff

     3000 gold

     95 Ability Power
     40% Magic Penetration
     
     
     or Void Staff

     12% pick · 51.2% Based on 43 picks wr

Most-built legendary at each step (purchase order).

Summoner spells

Flash

Teleports you a short distance toward your cursor.

Flash +

Smite

Deals true damage to a monster or minion.

Smite 100% · 56.8% Based on 528 picks wr

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Q Javelin Toss / Takedown

In human form, Nidalee throws a spiked javelin at her target that gains damage as it flies. As a cougar, her next attack will attempt to fatally wound her target, dealing more damage the less life they have.

Q

1

4

5

7

9

W Bushwhack / Pounce

In human form, Nidalee lays a trap for unwary opponents that, when sprung, damages and reveals its target. As a cougar, she jumps in a direction, dealing damage in an area where she lands.

W

3

14

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E Primal Surge / Swipe

In human form, Nidalee channels the spirit of the cougar to heal her allies and imbue them with Attack Speed for a short duration. As a cougar, she claws in a direction, dealing damage to enemies in front of her.

E

2

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R Aspect Of The Cougar

Nidalee transforms into a cougar, gaining new abilities.

R

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16

Domination

Electrocute

Hitting a champion with 3 separate attacks or abilities in 3s deals bonus adaptive damage.

Dark Harvest · selected

Damaging a low health champion inflicts adaptive damage and harvests a soul from the victim.

Hail of Blades

Gain a large amount of Attack Speed and bonus true damage for the first 3 attacks made against enemy champions.

Cheap Shot

Deal bonus true damage to enemy champions with impaired movement or actions.

Taste of Blood

Heal when you damage an enemy champion.

Sudden Impact · selected

Damaging basic attacks and abilities deal bonus true damage to enemy champions after using a dash, leap, blink, teleport, or when leaving stealth.

Sixth Sense

On a long Cooldown, automatically sense a nearby untracked and unseen ward, tracking it for the team.

Level 11: Also reveal the ward for 10s.

Grisly Mementos · selected

Collect 1 memento on champion takedowns, up to 18 total.

Gain 6 Trinket Haste for each collected.

Deep Ward

Your wards in the enemy jungle are Deep, gaining Health and Duration.

Level 9: Wards in the river are also Deep.

Treasure Hunter · selected

Unique takedowns grant additional gold the first time they are collected.

Relentless Hunter

Unique takedowns grant permanent out of combat MS.

Ultimate Hunter

Unique takedowns grant permanent cooldown reduction on your Ultimate.

Sorcery

Axiom Arcanist

Your Ultimate has increased damage, healing, and shielding. Scoring a takedown on an enemy champion reduces your Ultimate's current cooldown.

Manaflow Band

Hitting an enemy champion with an ability permanently increases your maximum mana by 25, up to 250 mana.

After reaching 250 bonus mana, restore 1% of your missing mana every 5 seconds.

Nimbus Cloak

After casting a Summoner Spell, gain a short Move Speed increase that allows you to pass through units.

Transcendence · selected

Gain bonuses upon reaching the following levels:
Level 5: +5 Ability Haste
Level 8: +5 Ability Haste
Level 11: On Champion takedown, reduce the remaining cooldown of basic abilities by 20%.

Celerity

All Move Speed bonuses are 7% more effective on you and gain 1% Move Speed.

Absolute Focus

While above 70% health, gain extra adaptive damage.

Scorch

Your first damaging ability hit every 10s burns champions.

Waterwalking · selected

Gain MS and AP or AD, adaptive in the river.

Gathering Storm

Gain increasing amounts of AD or AP, adaptive over the course of the game.

Stat shards

Adaptive Force

+9 Adaptive Force (AD or AP — whichever helps more).

Attack Speed · selected

+10% Attack Speed.

Ability Haste

+8 Ability Haste.

Adaptive Force · selected

+9 Adaptive Force (AD or AP — whichever helps more).

Move Speed

+2% Move Speed.

Bonus Health

+10–180 Bonus Health (based on level).

Health

+65 flat Health.

Tenacity & Slow Resist

+10% Tenacity and Slow Resist.

Bonus Health · selected

+10–180 Bonus Health (based on level).